Working the front (anterior) delts is not always necessary for most people...which I realize is a strange way to start off describing an exercise for the front delts.

Generally speaking, the front delts gets plenty of work with pressing movements.

However, if you DO find you either want or need some additional front delt work (i.e. you lack muscle development in the area or your shoulders are a weak link in your pressing), THIS is one of the best exercises I'd recommend for doing it.

This is a variation of the Dumbbell Front Raise done on an incline bench in order to give you a more effective loading pattern for the movement.

In the normal standing front raise, you have almost no tension on the front delts for the bottom 30 degrees of the range of motion (i.e. arms at sides, coming up to about 30 degrees).

This is a HUGE waste...because there is literally zero stretch-tension on the front delts through the entire range of motion...you're just building up to a contraction, which is not the most effective way to build strength and mass in a muscle.

If you want best results, you need to get loading in the STRETCH position...and you need to force the tension on to the target muscle for a greater portion of the range of motion, avoiding the temptation to heave the dumbbells up in front of you like a swing.

First, get a pair of LIGHT dumbbells...I mean that. I'm using a pair of 15's for this.

Because you'll be lying on a bench, there is NO body momentum to help you get the weights up. Go lighter than you think you'll need, then move up from there if it's too light.

For optimal stretch, don't sit on the seat.Sit about halfway up the bench and put your feet on the seat. Your upper back should be off the top end of the bench (I've shown this position with Incline Dumbbell Curls as well).

This allows you to get your shoulders back, putting greater stretch on the anterior delts. Hold the dumbbells at about a 45 degree angle of pronation. I find this to be a bit easier on the shoulder joints...feel free to experiment with this yourself. You may find full pronation to be fine for you.

Take a deep breath to expand the chest...this also enhances the stretch at the bottom.

Develop tension in the shoulders before you even start to move the weight...THEN start the front raise.

Come up until your arms are about 90 degree at the shoulder. Because your body is on an incline, it will look as though your arms are at an angle. Any higher than this and you'll lose tension in the delts, so DO NOT come all the way to vertical here.

Lower slowly and under complete control, exhaling on the way down. Feel the stretch on the front delts at the bottom, then take another breath, redevelop tension in the shoulders and do another raise.

When the Front Raise is done in this fashion...under complete control and with tension through a greater range of motion...it is a very humbling and very effective exercise!

Watch the video for this exercise on my YouTube Channel now...

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Want more unique shoulder exercises like this?

Check out my book, "The Best Shoulder Exercises You've Never Heard Of"

Quite often, conventional exercises for the shoulders just don't deliver the results you're looking for and you need to expand your options.

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Enjoy!

Nick Nilsson
The "Mad Scientist of Muscle"